Chapter 783: Private Talk
The gladiators were the super idols of this era.
Hence, in reference to later generations’ celebrity idols, it would be difficult for Zhang Heng to run away from crony capitalism. No matter how famous a gladiator was, he still could not get rid of his slave status. That was the one unfavorable thing for him. As long as someone paid enough money, the school would ask the particular gladiator to secretly meet up with the generous lady.
When a man and a woman spent some time alone, it was apparent that something intimate would happen between them. This was also an extra income for the gladiator school. Most of the gladiators would usually not resist this kind of thing. Besides, they were not allowed to disobey their masters as well. Such a matter would further enrich their legendary tales. And it would also become something that the other people talked about on the street.
The love story between Sergio Louis and Aibia was well-known in the entire Rome. The former was a famous gladiator at that time, while the latter was the senator’s wife. Aibia would always go on a date with him after his performance. This was something that everyone knew about in Rome.
But no one would have thought that Aibia would abandon her husband and family for Sergio Louis. The couples who were tortured by love finally eloped and left Rome together one night.
Their stories had since become the bards’ favorite subjects when they wrote love poems.
Mark Reuss did not expect that Zhang Heng would reject something that seemed innocuous, not to mention how this would earn him way lesser money. If it were someone else, Ruess’s face would have darkened now. However, he did not do so because his relations.h.i.+p with Zhang Heng was still in its honeymoon stage.
And he did not want to let the friendly atmosphere that he created with great effort vanish because of this matter. So he thought for a while and said, “I can help you reject some people you don’t like, but I can’t afford to offend those with high authority. Hence, I can’t give you any promises, but I can promise you that from now on, no one will bother you until you complete your performance at the Amphitheatrum Flavium. ”
“Amphitheatrum Flavium?” Zhang Heng pretended not to know about it.
“Yes, that’s right. I won’t hide it from you anymore. The war between the Germanic and us is over. Our new emperor will return from the battlefield soon. At that time, there will be a grand gladiatorial show to mark the beginning of his reign. We are not the only gladiator school that will partic.i.p.ate in this grand performance. Several other famous gladiator schools in Rome will also send their gladiators to join the battle. I heard that there are many powerful gladiators in other gladiator schools. Are you confident enough to defeat them?”
Mark Reuss looked at Zhang Heng expectantly. He was patient and friendly towards him because the upcoming gladiatorial performance would reshuffle the rankings of the gladiator schools.
Zhang Heng did not disappoint him. He nodded and said, “Of course, I will claim the victory for you.”
“Very good!” Mark Reuss seemed overjoyed when he heard that.
…
And earlier, Dadatis, on the other side, had also quietly left the gladiator school. No one paid attention to him. He came to a small market, pa.s.sed by the alleys with clothes poles, and went to a wooden loggia where a man was selling spices. His stall was filled with saffron, pepper, cloves, mint, and rosemary.
Dadatis squatted down and started to pick the herbs that he wanted. Suddenly, he felt a sharp blade pointing at his back.
“Is the rumor true? Have you really become that old that you’ve lost your basic judgment?” spoke someone behind Dadatis.
Dadatis did not look back. Instead, he said lightly, “Maybe. But you don’t seem to live up to your reputation as well. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have taken the flowers handed to you by the girl at the previous intersection.”
The mysterious person’s expression changed when he heard what Dadatis said.
“Did you do something to the flowers? No, you are just bluffing.”
“What do you think I’m here for then? I’m trying to make an antidote for you,” Dadatis replied leisurely.
“You lie! How could some use spices be used to make an antidote?”
“No. I just know that you don’t like things that taste bad. So I bought spices to make the antidote taste better,” Dadatis said, inserting the mint in his hand into a small bottle.
The mysterious person behind him hesitated for a moment and finally took the vial, drank it, and at the same time, put away the dagger he held.
“Why are you not in the arena? Isn’t he your most beloved student?”
“Because I don’t watch a battle where I know who the winner is. I know you watched his gladiatorial performance, right? What do you think? He is good, yeah?” Dadatis clapped his hands and stood up.
“What an a.s.sa.s.sin needs are more stealthiness and patience. An excellent a.s.sa.s.sin would look for the perfect opportunity to kill the target with one blow, rather than fighting the opponent head-on,” said the mysterious person said in an affronted tone. “He is more suitable to be a warrior and fight on the battlefield. Besides, he has already starting to be famous. Mark Reuss will use him as a trump card in the arena as long as he is smart enough. When he is used to living a comfortable and luxurious life, can he endure the loneliness, and will he be willing to become a nameless person like us?”
“You’re making the same mistake I made when I first met him. And that is, you have underestimated him. Believe me, people like him can’t be bought by Mark Reuss,” Dadatis said. “As for his combat style, don’t worry about it. I’m teaching him proper a.s.sa.s.sin skills right now.”
“Oh, I see.” The mysterious person chuckled. “You said that he couldn’t be bought by Mark Reuss. Is it because you couldn’t convince him to believe in Kreis and accept our beliefs?”
“I’m working hard on it. These things usually take time.” Dadatis shrugged.
“Don’t tell me that you forgot about the incident that happened two hundred years ago. At that time, the organization received the oracle, and we should have killed Octavius, just like how our people a.s.sa.s.sinated Caesar. But Octavius managed to convince one of us to betray us. That traitor worked with Octavius and almost destroyed the Balance Blade. Many veteran a.s.sa.s.sins died because of this incident. And this was the result of recruiting people who did not believe in our belief.”
The mysterious person paused before continuing, “You know that the other members of the organization will not agree to let a person who does not believe in our beliefs.”
“I wish that the tragic incident did not happen two-hundred years ago. But like I said, it’s a process, and it takes time,” Dadatis replied calmly.
“A process? I don’t think you can get other members’ support except for your old friend, Faceless. And unlike the situation two hundred years ago, we are now surrounded by enemies.”
“Then, let’s stop turning other people into our enemies.”
“Why can’t you follow the previous plan and let Habitus a.s.sist us?” The mysterious person was a little angry.
“Because Habitus will not cooperate with us. I am his trainer. I know him far better than you. He is what you call the kind of person who most likely will betray us. We don’t know other options if we want to carry on with the plan smoothly.”